Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-04-28
THE & c. ROAD.
The Disputed Territory of the Cookery
Farm.

The Disputed Territory Of the Cookery
Farm.
To ne Editor Of the Register.
DEAR SIR:-It is matter of public in
terest, and Of especial interest, to the peo-
pie of West Virginia, the early completion
of the Piedmont and Cumberland railway,
which is virtually an extension Of the
West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Rail
way from West Virginia junction to Cum
berland, Md, distance Ofabout p miles.
This extension furnishes the West Virginia
Central with close connection at CumOer-
land. with the Pennsylvania railroad sys-
TEN, and the Chesapeake 4 Ohio canal,
north 10 tidewater. The Cumberland and
Pennsylvania railroad, coal road extend
ing through the Georges Creek coal region
from Cumberland to Piedmont, is con-
trolIed by the Il. & o. system. This
road has rs its President Mr.. Charles
F. MAYER, Of Baltimore, Nd. The
new road-Piedmont and Cumberland
will be q rival of the i. & o. and Cumber-
land and Pennsylvania railroads, and to
impede its early completion, Mr.. Mayer
bought out the leasehOld interest OF Mr..
Jacob Spedman to the Cookery farm, ]"
situated in Allegheny county, Maryland,
adjacent to Rawlings Station on the Bal
timore and Ohio railroad, twelve miles
west of Cumberland, and through which
farm the line of the Piedmont and Cumber-
land railway runs. The Piedmont and
Cumberland railway purchas d of the
Cookery heirs the right of way through
said farm and did not condemn it, under
its power of eminent domain, therefore the
legal rights to the disputed territory are
technical and should be passed upon by the
courts. but instead thereof the Il. & o. and
Cumberland and Pennsylvania officials,
ri q GrmiS, take possession of the property
of the Piedmond aud Cumberland K. K. Co.,
tear up the track, destroy the road bed,
fill up the cut, destroy the rails and cross
ties and maintain an armed possession of
the disputed territory by keeping n large
number OF the r. " o., rolling mill men,
and shop men, aud the miners in the en-
plOy Of the Consolidation Coal Company
in possession of said farm. LawleSsness,
if these acts were committed by individH-
ais, instead OF the officials and employees OF
rich and powerful corporations, there is no
donbt but that the strong arm Of the law
would take hold and the rights of persons
and property duly protected.
The action of the Baltimore and Ohio
and Cumberland and Pennsylvania rail
way officials, establish precedent
which may cause said companies
great loss in the future.
As already threats of retaliation are heard
all round from diSinterestCd outsiders.
Suppose the Il. x q. and the e. X =. have
a difficulty, and strike or strikes ensue,
il would not he difficult matter for EN-
ploycs and others to use dynamite and
other dangerous agencies of destruction, to
destroy tunnels, bridges, cuts, &c. This
is merely a suggestion as to what their
course may lead to. The respective rights
of all parties to the disputed property can
he readily adiudicAted by the courts; and
in the mean time, there should be legal
" maintainrd truce and the armed force
Ofthe belligerents disbanded and dispersed,
and let the law take its course.
WEST NIRGINIAN.
Piedmont, w. ApyH &c.